“Heart Tribe” – an art quilt dedicated to the families of our choosing

We just finished Thanksgiving here in the States, a time that traditionally families get together to show gratitude. However, that would be in the world of “perfect families”. Everyone is born into this world and many of us are raised in the families of our birth. These parents and siblings form our early years and often give us guidance and growth. Other people have families that were chosen for them, either by circumstance or by legal action and their formative years are often shaped by those experiences. There’s a third kind of family, one of your own choosing, usually formed after one is much older. It’s this kind of “Heart Tribe” made of those to whom we hold dear to us and that were chosen by us, that was the basis for the name and the theme behind this art quilt, “Heart Tribe”.

To create this piece, I of course added many variations of the traditional heart shape. There are a lot of buttons and charms from which to choose for that image, as it’s always a popular image in different media. Since this is supposed to be a “tribal piece”, there are many stripes made of ribbons that were used to add an ethnic flair. You can see some of these striped ribbons in the detail shot below. The long tassel off the lower right edge is only partially shown in this piece, and is about  12 inches or 30.5cm. This complicated fringe along the bottom edge represents how people often trail out of our lives. However, the long extensions is there to give them a “bridge” on which to return, should someone choose to do so, even years later.

In the detail shot on the left, you can see some of the shi-sha mirrors from India that I added to impart shine to the piece. These ones are outlined in orange, with a thin rim of magenta thread. They mimic a large flower applique in the lower right of this pic that also has a mirror center outlined in orange. I love it when I can find materials that go together from a wide range of sources as in this piece.

Perhaps the most interesting “find” that was used as embellishment is a flattened AA battery that I found in a parking lot. The label had been worn off the outside and the top of the battery where the poles are had been also flattened and appeared as if they were a face. You can see the battery “papoose” on the left side of the photo below.

A Heart Tribe may contain people to whom you are related, but often is made of friends whose paths may only cross for a short time with your own. Other members of your tribe are life-long friends who would do anything for you. It’s not the number of people that you include in this group that is important, but rather the quality of the connections that are made at a deep level that is important. In different cultures, that kind of person might be called a “blood brother”, “sword brother”, or “soul sister”. These are the people that “get” who you are and understand you. May your own Heart Tribe grow and prosper.

 You can see more of my art work on my web site at www.fiberfantasies.com

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